James Garner wants to play every week and could look to secure a move away from Manchester United in order to do so.
The academy graduate enjoyed a successful loan spell with Nottingham Forest in securing promotion from the Championship, and when asked about it by PA News Agency (via Manchestereveningnews.co.uk), he beamed.
“I had a really good season last season – full of confidence, full of experience. The experience I didn’t have, I feel that now I do have.
“I played in some big pressure games, and I just think it’s a new and improved me. It was almost as perfect a loan experience that I could possibly have had.”
Garner was overjoyed to have “played pretty much every single game” and while his preseason preparations have been stalled by injury issues, he is determined to “show what he can do” in remaining matches.
Seeing himself as “a midfielder that can do pretty much everything,” the promising player hopes to secure a first team position at Old Trafford.
However, his taste of crucial status at Forest means that he is unlikely to be happy to be on the fringes.
“I’ve played two seasons back-to-back, where I’ve been playing games non-stop, I don’t really want to stop that. I want to play week in, week out.”
A return to the newly promoted side on loan is off the table, with Premier League rules preventing the Midlands club from borrowing a second player from United following the completion of their loan move for Dean Henderson.
But Garner won’t be stepping back down to the Championship.
“If I’m not going to be playing as regularly as I would like to then I’m definitely open to going back on loan to a Premier League side.”
A loan move to a team in England’s top flight could suit all parties, as with the Red Devils looking to strengthen their midfield, Garner is unlikely to be a first team regular.
And the experience he would gain could help to shape him into the deep-lying playmaker that United have been without since Michael Carrick retired in 2018.
